Ornamental leash for portable objects and devices

ABSTRACT

An ornamental leash for linking a portable object to a user or auxiliary structure where the leash is a flexible, elongate member having a first end including a first fastener, a second end including a second fastener and a body portion, wherein the first fastener can be manipulated to link to one of the second fastener, the portable object, the user or the auxiliary structure, and the second fastener can be manipulated to link to one of the first fastener, the portable object, the user or the auxiliary structure. A plurality of hollow bodies are penetrated by the elongate member to form an ornamental appearance. A variety of fasteners can be used, and include both hooks and loops. Embodiments of the invention further include a lanyard adapted to removably engage the portable object at one end and the ornamental leash at an opposite end. The lanyard may also include a plurality of hollow bodies between the two ends.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As technology progresses, the familiar becomes smaller. What once occupied a given volume now occupies a fraction of that. Examples of this miniaturization abound: mobile telephones, personal digital assistants, solid state or mechanical memory devices, personal music players, illumination devices, etc. While this miniaturization permits users to carry more such devices within, for example, a woman's purse, it also makes locating such devices more difficult. The inventors are very familiar with the “ringing mobile telephone in the purse” syndrome where the amount of time necessary to find the telephone and answer the call is proportional to the volume of the purse and/or number of other items in the purse. Invariably, the time necessary to find the telephone exceeds the number of allowable rings prior to the caller being sent to voicemail or having the call refused by the service provider.

While other items commonly found in a woman's purse may not have the time sensitivity as does a ringing mobile telephone, frustration concerning the inability to locate a desired object or device in a timely manner is omnipresent. Common complaints include “where are my keys?” and “where is that flashlight?” and “where is my cell phone?” Thus, there has been a well acknowledged need for a retrieval assistance accessory to facilitate the recovery of desired objects and devices.

Heretofore, such retrieval assistance accessories have been rather utilitarian in nature, e.g., spring-biased spooled chains such as commonly used for keys and pass cards. Other accessories commonly included with personal electronics consist of a thin strap of material with an even thinner loop of line, generally referred to as a lanyard. Such accessories are sufficient if only utilitarian factors are considered, however, those persons who may be considered “fashion aware” rarely take pleasure in the “form follows function” perspective. Therefore, a need has arisen with respect to a retrieval accessory that both functions to assist a user in recovering a desired object or device and presents a fashionable outward appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a fashionable or ornamental retrieval accessory or leash for portable objects and/or devices such as, for example, mobile telephones, personal digital assistants, solid state or mechanical memory devices, personal music players, as well as lock keys, identification cards, illumination devices, cosmetics, and other transportable personal items. The leash of the invention is intended to link the portable object and/or device to the user (or user's clothing) or an auxiliary structure associated with the user, such as a purse.

A first series of embodiments of the invention comprise a flexible elongate member having a first end, a second end and a body portion there between, wherein the body portion further comprises a plurality of ornamental elements associated therewith, such as, for example, beads, stones, gems, crystals, tiger's-eye, turquoise, alabaster, coral, wood, bone, chain links, mother-of-pearl, Swarovski® crystals, etc., all having the ability to surround the elongate member (also referred to herein as hollow bodies). The first end of the elongate member includes a first fastener and the second end includes a second fastener.

The fasteners may comprise positive closure elements such as snap hooks, hooks with spring catches, slip hooks with catches, shackles with pins, carabineers, clasps, split links, snap links, single “S” links, or double “S” links used in conjunction with each other (examples of functionally compatible fasteners), or with rings, loops, bore holes, etc. (examples of intentionally complementary fasteners). Each fastener may also comprise one part of a two part fastener system such as a plurality of micro hooks or loops, i.e. Velcro®; buttons or button holes (or loops), or other similar systems. In the case of embodiments wherein the first fastener is one part of a two part fastener system and the second fastener is the other part of the two part fastener system, or wherein the first and second fasteners are functionally compatible or intentionally complementary, such embodiments can modify the ornamental leash to form a closed loop. By selecting fasteners that serve the dual purpose of a leash for portable objects and/or devices and a closed loop, such embodiments provide increased functionality and fashion options.

A feature of the first series of embodiments provides for the convenient association of the leash, comprising the elongate member, with a portable object and/or device such as a mobile telephone. Many such portable objects and/or devices possess a lanyard connection point, commonly embodied as an exposed two-sided hole, bore or open passageway. The lanyard, which includes a thin loop of line or cord in addition to a robust but non-ornamental strap, is threaded through one side of the hole or passageway to the other, where after the body of the lanyard is passed through the lanyard loop, thereby securing the lanyard to the object or device. Those persons skilled in the art will appreciate that any object possessing an exposed two-sided hole or orifice, such as a lock key, is capable of such lanyard association. Thus, selected embodiments of the invention include as a fastener, at one end thereof, a thin loop of cord, string, wire, line, chain, cable or equivalent flexible structure to engage the object or device of interest in the described manner. Because in these embodiments the fastener comprises a portion of the elongate member, it is necessary to pass the body of the leash through the thin loop once it has passed through the hole or passageway of the object or device. Thus, the loop is preferably sized to be sufficient to permit such passage. Moreover, because in certain embodiments each end of the ornamental leash has at least functionally compatible fasteners, the other end preferably has a type of fastener compatible with the thin loop, such as a hook, a clasp, a carabineer, a shackle or other positive closure element, such that the leash may be linked to itself when not in use as a leash and, thus, function as a jewelry accessory; otherwise, the leash may be detachably linked to an auxiliary structure when functioning as a retrieval aid.

A second series of embodiments of the invention comprise a flexible elongate member having a first end including a first fastener, a second end including a second fastener and a body portion, and further comprise a detachable lanyard having a thin loop of cord, string, wire, line, chain, cable or equivalent structure, and leash attachment means for linking the lanyard to at least one of the fasteners of the leash. This leash attachment means may be functionally compatible with at least one fastener of the ornamental leash, or may be intentionally complementary to at least one fastener of the ornamental leash. Thus, while in these embodiments the ornamental leash may be linkable to itself to form a loop (preferably a closed loop), the leash includes at least one fastener capable of linking to the lanyard, preferably to the leash attachment means. In such a configuration, the lanyard and portable object and/or device combination may be associated with a plurality of elongate members. This scenario may be encountered when one elongate member may be best coordinated for use with a particular object, e.g., a purse, and another best coordinated for use with another particular object, e.g., a jacket. Because each elongate member employs elements of fashion, one embodiment may not fit each “wardrobe” ensemble. Thus, when a user has a plurality of leashes specifically chosen for certain wardrobe selections, the user need only disconnect the lanyard bearing object and/or device from one leash and conveniently link it to another.

A variation of the first or series of embodiments does not rely on functionally compatible or intentionally complementary fasteners, but instead comprises incompatible fasteners. In these types of embodiments, the first or second fastener engages with a portable object and/or device while the other end engages with an auxiliary structure, such as a woman's purse. These embodiments comprise what are referred to as extrinsically compatible fasteners.

Transcending both the first and second series embodiments is the selection of material for the flexible elongate member. In certain embodiments, it is a 20 pound test, nylon coated steel line. In other embodiments, the member can be constructed from primarily polymeric, primarily metal, cordage, fabric, knitted or woven material, or any material capable of attaining a flexible, elongate body. Moreover, the selected material can be elastic or inelastic. In the case of the former, the leash comprising the flexible member can be used, for example, as a hair band when not functioning as a retrieval aid.

Unlike conventional jewelry items, the fasteners of the invention are intended to engage functional structure as opposed to, or in addition to, another fastener. Thus, the fasteners must be easily manipulated and have a size appropriate to engage convenient user selected objects, such as a purse buckle, a zipper slide, or belt portion. While the size of such objects is difficult to characterize, and thus the size and nature of the required fasteners are similarly difficult to characterize, many embodiments of the invention have fasteners that are physically larger in maximum dimensions than the maximum dimension of any hollow body surrounding the elongate member. Moreover, where at least one of the fasteners comprises a loop and the remaining portions of the ornamental leash must pass through the loop, the loop when formed into a generally circular shape should have a diameter greater than the maximum dimension of any object associated with the remaining portions of the leash, e.g., the other fastener.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention shown in conjunction with a woman's purse wherein a carabineer-style snap hook is paired with a thin loop linked to a mobile telephone;

FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention removably attached to a simple lanyard wherein one end of the embodiment has a carabineer-style snap hook and the other end has a swivel-style snap hook; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an ornamental lanyard that may be used in lieu of the simple lanyard of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Turning then to the several Figures wherein like numerals indicate like parts, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of ornamental leash 10 is shown. Ornamental leash 10 comprises elongate member 20, first end 30 and second end 40. Elongate member 20 preferably comprises a nylon coated steel line, but may also comprise a primarily polymeric, a primarily metallic, a cordage, a fabric, a knitted or woven material, or any material capable of attaining a flexible, elongate body. Moreover, elongate member 20 may be characterized as elastic or inelastic without departing from the scope of the invention. Between ends 30 and 40, is a plurality of hollow bodies 50 surrounding elongate member 20. As noted above, a hollow body 50 may comprise virtually anything capable of receiving elongate member 20, such as, for example, cored beads, stones, gems, crystals, tiger's-eye, turquoise, alabaster, coral, bone wood, chain links, mother-of-pearl, Swarovski® crystals, etc.

An aspect of the invention relates to inclusions of fasteners at ends 30 and 40. As noted in the Summary of the Invention, one fastener is preferably directly, or indirectly through the use of a detachable lanyard (see FIG. 3), temporarily linked to a portable object and/or device while the other fastener is preferably directly or indirectly temporarily linked to the user or an accessory of the user, such as ring 92 of purse 90. As further noted in the Summary of the Invention, the types of fasteners suitable for use are many. Any associated fastener is preferably either securely linked to elongate member 20 (such as carabineer-style snap hook 32) or is formed from elongate member 20 (such as loop 42). Moreover, each fastener preferably is characterized as a positive closure fastener such that when in use, it is not susceptible to easy disengagement.

Two types of fasteners are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2: carabineer-style snap hook 32 and loop 42; FIG. 3 has loop 42 replaced by swivel-style snap hook 44. In the illustrated embodiments, each first end 30 fastener is linkable with each second end 40 fastener, although this compatibility is not required for primary operation of the invention. However, it is important to the functionality of the invention that at least one fastener is linkable to target portable object and/or device 60 and the other fastener is linkable to the user or object selected by the user (such as purse 90).

While the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 use loop fastener 42 at end 40 to link leash 10 to target portable object and/or device 60, the embodiment in FIG. 3 relies upon modified lanyard 70 as an intermediate link between leash 10 and target portable object and/or device 60. Lanyard 70 may or may not be constructed from the same material as elongate member 20, but should be constructed from a material suitable to permit its intended functionality. In such embodiments, swivel-style snap hook 44 replaces loop 42 as the attachment means so that it may removably engage lanyard 50 (those persons skilled in the art will appreciate that loop 42 may be used to link leash 10 to lanyard 70, however, the substitution of swivel-style snap hook 44 for loop 42 permits rapid and stylistic linkage there between). Use of a separate lanyard permits a user to alternately link the target device to a plurality of different leashes without the hassle of threading loops (whether from leashes or lanyards) through oftentimes small openings of the target devices. Thus, a leash suitable for one user accessory can be retained with that accessory and the target device conveniently removed there from for association with another leash/accessory combination.

FIG. 4 illustrates a variation of lanyard 70, namely ornamental lanyard 80. In this embodiment, lanyard 80 includes first fastener 82 and second fastener 84. First fastener 82 is selected to appropriately interface with ornamental leash 10 while second fastener 84 is selected to appropriately interface with an attachment point associated with portable object and/or device 60. In the illustrated embodiment, portable object and/or device 60 is mobile telephone 62, and includes lanyard attachment feature 64. Thus, fastener 84 is chosen to be a loop having similar properties to that of loop 42 in FIG. 2. Fastener 82 is similarly selected to appropriately interface with its intended object, in this case fastener 42 (see FIG. 2) or 44 (see FIG. 3) of ornamental leash 10. Ornamental leash 10 in turn may be linked via fastener 32 to ring 92 of purse 90 as is shown in FIG. 1. 

1. An ornamental leash for linking a portable object to a user or auxiliary structure comprising: a flexible, elongate member having a first end including a first fastener, a second end including a second fastener and a body portion, wherein the first fastener can be manipulated to link to one of the second fastener, the portable object, the user or the auxiliary structure, and the second fastener can be manipulated to link to one of the first fastener, the portable object, the user or the auxiliary structure; and a plurality of hollow bodies penetrated by the elongate member.
 2. The ornamental leash of claim 1 wherein the first fastener is one of a snap hook, a hook with spring catch, a slip hook with catch, a shackle with pin, a carabineer, a clasp, a split link, a snap link, a single “S” link, or a double “S” link.
 3. The ornamental leash of claim 1 wherein the second fastener is one of a snap hook, a hook with spring catch, a slip hook with catch, a shackle with pin, a carabineer, a clasp, a split link, a snap link, a single “S” link, or a double “S” link.
 4. The ornamental leash of claim 1 wherein the first fastener and the second fastener are one of a snap hook, a hook with spring catch, a slip hook with catch, a shackle with pin, a carabineer, a clasp, a split link, a snap link, a single “S” link, or a double “S” link.
 5. The ornamental leash of claim 1 wherein the first fastener is one of a snap hook, a hook with spring catch, a slip hook with catch, a shackle with pin, a carabineer, a clasp, a split link, a snap link, a single “S” link, or a double “S” link, and the second fastener is a loop of flexible material.
 6. The ornamental leash of claim 5 wherein the loop of flexible material comprises a portion of the elongate, flexible material.
 7. The ornamental leash of claim 5 wherein the loop of flexible material comprises cord, string, wire, line, chain, or cable.
 8. The ornamental leash of claim 1 wherein one of the first or second fastener comprises a loop of flexible material of sufficient dimension to permit passage of the body portion there through.
 9. The ornamental leash of claim 1 wherein one of the first or second fastener comprises a loop of flexible material of sufficient dimension to permit passage of the body portion and the other fastener there through.
 10. The ornamental leash of claim 1 wherein the maximum external dimension of at least one fastener is greater than the maximum external dimension of the largest hollow body.
 11. The ornamental leash of claim 1 further comprising a lanyard having a thin loop of flexible material that is attachable to one of the first or second fastener.
 12. The ornamental leash of claim 11 wherein the first fastener is one of a snap hook, a hook with spring catch, a slip hook with catch, a shackle with pin, a carabineer, a clasp, a split link, a snap link, a single “S” link, or a double “S” link.
 13. The ornamental leash of claim 11 wherein the second fastener is one of a snap hook, a hook with spring catch, a slip hook with catch, a shackle with pin, a carabineer, a clasp, a split link, a snap link, a single “S” link, or a double “S” link.
 14. The ornamental leash of claim 11 wherein the first fastener and the second fastener are one of a snap hook, a hook with spring catch, a slip hook with catch, a shackle with pin, a carabineer, a clasp, a split link, a snap link, a single “S” link, or a double “S” link.
 15. The ornamental leash of claim 1 wherein the first fastener is one of a snap hook, a hook with spring catch, a slip hook with catch, a shackle with pin, a carabineer, a clasp, a split link, a snap link, a single “S” link, or a double “S” link, and the second fastener is a loop of flexible material.
 16. The ornamental leash of claim 15 wherein the loop of flexible material comprises a portion of the elongate, flexible material.
 17. The ornamental leash of claim 11 wherein the lanyard further comprises a separate attachment means for linking to the leash.
 18. The ornamental leash of claim 17 wherein the attachment means is functionally compatible with at least one of the first or the second fasteners.
 19. The ornamental leash of claim 17 wherein the attachment means is functionally compatible with both the first and the second fasteners.
 20. The ornamental leash of claim 11 wherein the maximum external dimension of at least one leash fastener is greater than the maximum external dimension of the largest hollow body. 